PM Narendra Modi will be on an official visit to Singapore on September 4, 5 to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations. PM Modi’s visit comes a fortnight after the high-level roundtable between top ministers of both countries.

At the special briefing about the Prime Minister’s visit, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that ties between India and Singapore are poised to take off to an entirely new level of cooperation. Secretary East, Ministry of External Affairs, Jaideep Mazumdar asserted that PM Modi’s visit to Singapore comes after six years. He added that India and Singapore are looking to significantly enhance their cooperation in the semiconductor sector.

He further stated that the Prime Minister’s visit to Singapore is important for trade and investment. The Secretary East, Ministry of External Affairs continued that Singapore is India’s largest trade partner in ASEAN, and is also a leading source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the last financial year with an investment of $11.77 billion in 2023 alone. Singapore is also India’s sixth largest trade partner worldwide.

Jaideep Mazumdar further stated that during PM Modi’s two-day visit, he will also address CEOs. While speaking about the special roundtable framework shared by the two nations, he said that they have identified new anchors of partnership under the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable framework. He mentioned that the visit will also take place in light of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations which they are celebrating in 2025 and 10th year of their strategic partnership with Singapore.

Jaideep Mazumdar mentioned that in the recently concluded India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, a unique forum between ministers on both sides on diverse areas, a number of new forward-looking futuristic areas were identified in digitization, skill, sustainability, health, advanced manufacturing and connectivity. He continued that they are likely to exchange a number of MoUs in the aforesaid areas in the forthcoming visit of the PM.

An army jawan was injured on Monday after terrorists fired from a stand-off distance near the Sunjawan military camp, the largest army base in Jammu on Monday morning. Defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said that the fire was launched from a distance between 10 to 10:30 am.

Reportedly, the army base has been sealed for any movement, and a search operation has been initiated.

Notably in February 2018, JeM terrorists had attacked the Sunjawan military camp in Jammu, which led to the killing of six soldiers, a civilian, and three terrorists. Nearly 20 people, including soldiers and civilians, were also injured in the attack.

Reports stated that the attack near the army base camp comes a few days after the security forces shot dead three terrorists in two separate gunfights in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. While two terrorists were killed in Machhal, another was killed in the Tangdhar sector.

Additionally, in neighbouring Jammu, another encounter broke out in Rajouri district after forces launched a search operation to locate the terrorists hiding in the Lathi area. The operation was launched in the general area of the village Kheri Mohra Lathi and Danthal area at 9:30 pm.

The infiltration attempts occurred at a time when Jammu and Kashmir is set to go to the assembly polls, and nominations for the first phase have already been filed. As per the Election Commission of India, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of the votes will take place on October 4.

Jammu and Kashmir has seen several encounters this year, prompting the country’s administrative and defence brass to assess the security situation in the region. Nearly, five personnel and seven civilians have died in terror attacks in Kashmir, while 14 security personnel and 11 civilians have died in separate extremist attacks in Jammu.

Amanatullah Khan, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday after six hours of questioning in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the Delhi Waqf Board case.

The ED officials arrived at Amanatullah Khan’s home in Okhla, the constituency he represents in the Delhi Assembly, early this morning. The AAP MLA, who is facing charges related to illegal recruitment and financial misconduct during his tenure as the chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, had taken to X and said that ED had just arrived at his house to arrest him.

As the investigation agency team conducted their search, a large contingent of Delhi Police and paramilitary forces was stationed outside Khan’s home. Visuals from the scene showed officers reviewing documents and materials, with heavy security on the roads leading to his residence.

Responding to the ED raid, AAP MLA Khan posted a video on social media, accusing the government of targeting him and other AAP leaders. He stated that on the order of the dictator, his puppet ED has reached my house. He continued that the dictator is leaving no stone unturned to harass him and AAP leaders. 

Simultaneously, AAP leaders quickly rallied behind Amanatullah Khan, condemning the ED’s actions and claiming that the leader would be arrested. AAP MP Sanjay Singh took to X and alleged that Khan was being targeted due to the BJP’s political vendetta.

Furthermore, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was recently released on bail in the liquor policy case, tweeted that the only work left for ED is to suppress every voice raised against BJP and break it. 

Notably, the ED’s case against Khan is based on allegations that he illegally recruited staff and unfairly leased Waqf Board properties between 2018 and 2022, resulting in financial gains through illegitimate means.

The investigation agency has earlier questioned Khan for more than 12 hours in connection with the case and has claimed that he acquired huge proceeds of crime in cash through these illegal activities. It further alleged that Khan invested these proceeds in purchasing immovable assets in the name of his associates.

Previously, the Delhi High Court refused to grant Khan anticipatory bail in March, mentioning his repeated evasion of summons from investigating agencies. The Supreme Court had also denied him protection from arrest.